The present invention relates to a damped liquid spring possessing a construction for protecting the seal against injury when the liquid spring is subjected to substantially instantaneous high forces.
By way of background, liquid springs are utilized in conjunction with weapon systems or earthquake restraints to protect objects against injury resulting from substantially instantaneous shocks of high magnitude, as might be experienced from an explosive blast or earthquake. Under these circumstances the liquid within the liquid spring rises in pressure instantaneously to an extremely high value, which may be sufficient to damage the liquid spring seal and possibly even overstress the seal to the point of failure. It is with protecting the seal under the foregoing circumstances that the present invention is concerned.